Real ‘Jeep’ launched in India, but enthusiasts stunned by high pricing

The iconic and much awaited Jeep brand has finally made its way to the Indian market. There will be 3 vehicles on sale from the brand and the pricing will start at Rs 71.59 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi. All vehicles are CBU imports from the USA. Meanwhile, car enthusiasts in India have already expressed disappointment at the steep prices of the iconic Wrangler.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Pricing: Rs 71.59 lakhs

The Wrangler is the rough and tough product from the Jeep stable. It is a rugged product that is meant to be taken anywhere. It is priced at Rs 71.59 lakhs and will only be available in one variant. That variant is a Trail rated one which means it is very capable off-road.

The most interesting part is that though the vehicle is a 4 door one, the doors and the roof are removable which can give wind in the hair motoring an all new feel. Currently, the Wrangler Unlimited is powered by a 2.8 liter diesel engine making 197 Bhp and 460 Nm. It is mated to a 5 speed automatic gearbox.

On the inside, the Wrangler gets McKinley leather seats, Alpine music system with 6.5 inch Uconnect touch screen system with navigation. The Wrangler will come equipped with 17″ alloys and their Command Trac 4×4 system with heavy duty solid axles making it very capable off-road.

Is the Wrangler overpriced?

Since the Wrangler is an iconic vehicle, there has been a lot of chatter regarding the pricing and a lot of people waiting for the car to come. When the vehicle was showcased at the Expo, a lot of enthusiasts and media personnel expected the pricing to be around Rs 50 lakhs.

Now that the pricing is out, it seems quite high given that even the Ford Mustang (a slightly higher priced car also imported through the CBU route) is priced a few lakhs lower here. In the UK market where both the vehicles are sold, the Mustang is about 5 % costlier than the Wrangler.

With this pricing, Jeep is making a statement that the Wrangler is merely a brand builder. They are not in it to sell high volumes by taking a hit on profits since the off roader isn’t expected to sell in large volumes anyway.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Pricing: Limited Rs 93.64 lakhs, Summit Rs 1.03 crores

The second model in the line up is the Grand Cherokee. The vehicle is more of a comfortable SUV that can be taken off-road as well. It will come in two variants, the Limited and the Summit. The Summit is the top of the line vehicle and is priced at Rs 1.03 crores.

The Summit comes well loaded with a lot of bells and whistles. It has a 8.4 inch UConnect infotainment system with a 9 speaker Alpine music system. It is equipped with Nappa leather all over. It has 7″ customisable instrument cluster as well. The rear seat passengers will have the luxury of a panoramic sun roof and a Blu-ray system.

Powering both the variants will be a 3.0 liter V6 diesel making 240 Bhp and 570 Nm. The engine is mated to the 8 speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. The pricing is on the higher side. For that kind of money, you can get a Q7 or a GLS, both of which offer 7 seats and are much larger.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

Pricing: Rs 1.12 crores

The SRT is Jeep’s answer to the BMW M and the Mercedes AMG. The SRT is powered by a massive 6.4 liter Hemi V8 making 470 Bhp and 624 Nm. This takes the beast from 0-100 in 5 seconds.

To make sure the SRT performs well, it comes equipped with a Quadra-Trac full time 4wd system which is linked to a 5 mode Selec-Track system which has various options and adaptive damping. It also has massive Brembo brakes.

On the inside, the vehicle gets a 7″ cluster along with a 8.4″ UConnect system mated to a 19 speaker Harman Kardon system. The SRT seems to make the most sense interms of pricing. For what it offers, it is priced much lower than either the BMW X5M/ X6M.

Currently, Jeep will be sold through exclusive dealerships across the country, known as Jeep Destination Stores. It will open 10 dealerships in India across 9 cities by the end of the year. The first dealership has already been setup in Ahmedabad and the rest will follow soon.

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